master craftsman

Bob Bakert, editor of Jazz Guitar Today, said, “A finer gentleman I’ve never met. John was a consummate gentleman and a gracious, truly caring guy. It was always about the music and camaraderie and his love for his fellow musicians. John was a master craftsman.”

Rather than function as austere showpieces, Skelly’s creations blend into this welcoming home environment full of earthy colors and personal treasures, which include a beloved rocking chair inspired by Claremont-adjacent master craftsman Sam Maloof that Jessica’s father crafted in the 1970s.

Since joining the prison’s instrument workshop in 2020, Nikolae — who declined to give his full name and prefers to skim over the charges that landed him in prison a decade ago — has become Opera’s master craftsman, graduating from crude instruments made out of plywood to harmonious violins worthy of La Scala’s stage.

The movie — a poignant character study of a public-toilet cleaner with a mysterious past who lives a spartan existence and works with the care of a master craftsman — actually had its roots in a bit of propaganda.

A master craftsman, Bermudez also invented mold-making techniques, which he passed on to the students he mentored at UCLA, Otis College of Art and Design, Cal State Northridge and Cal State Los Angeles, where he taught for 20 years.